Prophecy Series: Path to Unity

Chapter 3; Goblin's Bane

                                                                  Chapter III

                                                              ~Goblin’s Bane~

                                                              (Kyrdol’m Shali)
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It is in revenge, the evils of the world sometimes take upon the virtuous, trapping them by the forces of the very passion that drives them
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As their night patrol of the Whispering Forest was coming to an end, the two goblins left the path taking a quick break at a pool of cool water. On one side of the pool sits a weeping willow whose leaves dangle down to tickle the water surface, as the night’s breeze, blew across the forest floor.

"Don’t forget to fill your water skin,” reminded the goblin.

“Yeah…yeah I know Tanekz,” replied the other as he dunked the stitched water skin under the pool water allowing it to fill up.

Bubbles burst on the water surface as the skin filled with water. Once it could hold no more, the lime-green skinned goblin stood up to plug the top with a bit of hardened sap, His loin clothe was damp from the muddy ledge around the pool, as turning in the water caught the goblins attention.

“Hey Tanekz come here!” squealed the goblin.

“What is it now Zutd, we still have another round to make before we go home,” he replied.

“And mind you it’s my turn to watch all the children,” continued Tanekz proudly.

“I know…I know but something's in the water just come check it out!” whined Zutd.

With a sigh of disgust, Tanekz scanned the area one last time before he got off the giant spider used as a mount. While he looked, the moonlight filtered down through the trees illuminating the forest floor. He could hear the scurrying of forest animals around them and an owl sang out into the air. “What have you found Zutd, we don’t have time for this really,” he replied.

Peering into the murky water, Zutd leaned down sniffing the water to figure out what disturbed the pool. With his nose only a few inches away from the water, he squealed in surprise and abruptly fell back as a figure came from the waters depths.

“Run Zutd, it’s an ambush!” yelled Tanekz as he jumped back onto the enormous spider.

“Sylol Ai tysti sai o eir si eilaer os baelaeli, eil os shyr shor shi molaer jhoji o molaer si shyr os is ailylael,” solemnly spoke the figure as an arrow flew from its bow piercing Zutd’s skull.

Looking on, Tanekz watched as his comrade fell limp as an elf with mud matted hair and covered in a black substance stepped out of the pool drawing another arrow from the quiver on its back.

"O tal vel kyrdol sher os jhori ael sylol!" yelled the elf.

Tanekz gave the spider a kick as it darted off into the night heading toward the Bonesteel caves. “Quickly Agalel, we must warn the others!” he orders the spider as several arrows whizzed by his head.

The moonlit night made racing through the underbrush and around the trees easier on their way to the caves. Tanekz saw movement to his right while more arrows struck the trees around him. Branches and thorns lashed across his skin, causing blood to trickle from the cuts. Unable to determine what was to his right or where the elf was, Tanek tightened his grip on the reins and pushed on.

“Once I get to the caves I am safe, no one would dare enter goblin caves,” he thought to himself.

Making it to the clearing around the caves, an arrow struck him in the shoulder knocking him off Agalel. Pain rippled through his arm which was now limp and useless. Crying out in rage, Tanekz mustered every bit of strength to picking himself up and haplessly stumbled toward the entrance.

“If I can get to the caves…I…am” he started to think to himself.

Then it dawned on him as to why the elf arrows never touched him. He was leading it back to the caves. “What a fool I am!” thought Tanekz as rocks above the entrance shifted around. Looking up he was caught off guard by a large white wolf as it lunged down biting into the goblin’s throat.

“The children….” He gasped as blood trickled out his mouth.

*****

“Shaesi air si Shasys?” threatens the elf holding the remaining Bonesteel goblin that hadn’t fled.

Being a simple minded creature who didn’t know what the elf was saying just laid there blubbering and weeping. Its webbed fingers quivered in fear as the elf’s blade slightly grazed across its throat.

As the elf continued the interrogation, the goblin looked around hoping one of his clan members was alive. Blood pooled on the cave floor as masses of goblin fighters and children bodies lay scattered about. The white wolf could be heard chewing on the bodies of the fallen, sending a chill through the goblin’s body.

“Why the children, what have they done to you?” cried the creature.

Obviously caught off guard by what he said, the elf’s almond eyes blinked several times then his face hardened, tightening his grip on his sword. “Even though I think your language is vile, worm, I will answer this so you understand. Why did I slaughter the children, when they have done nothing to me?”

“It was your disgusting kind that spilled the blood of the innocent first. So I will ask you this one more time goblin, where is the Warlord?”

“What…why would I betray a hero among the Goblin clans?” it replied.

“That filth is no hero…he’s a butcher!” yelled the elf.

“In your eyes maybe, but in our eyes he is a hero for single handedly uniting the five goblin clans. I will tell you nothing elf,” he responded spitting at the elf.

“I was hoping you would say that,” the elf said coolly pulling fine elven rope from over his shoulder.

“If he is a butcher then what does that make you?” sternly asked the goblin looking at his fallen clan members.
The elf remained quiet not answering the goblin as it bound his arms and legs together then pulling him to his feet. With some rope extending from the knot binding his hands, the elf led the goblin out of the cave followed by the white wolf with goblin blood still on its tongue. “What are you doing?” asked the goblin with a quiver.

Still the elf remained silent as it led him back into the forest edge. Ahead he could see a tree with thorn bushes growing around the base. Turning him around, the elf pressed the goblins back against the tree as the thorns bedded themselves into its skin. Roughly, the elf bound him to the tree while the wolf stood guard over him. His arms were pulled up above his head, while his feet were bound around the ankles then secured to the tree as well.

“Good puppy, I got some meat for you if you help me out?” whispered the goblin.

His offer was only replied by a loud growl and a snarl as the elf came back around front. “Sholi Ai sysesi cos Kyanon varyr eisyl thys eileirol sas jhaedol sai eilyraes tal tali,” whispered the elf to his wolf companion.

With a bark, the wolf walks off into the shadows of the night and disappears as the elf stood up to gather small branches and leaves. Once a decent amount was gathered, the elf pulled out a flint and steel kit striking them together to ignite the kindle. “What do you want from me?” said the goblin blubbering as fear tore through his body.

“Where is the Warlord?” asked the elf as he unsheathed a long bladed dagger setting the blade into the fire. Standing up, the elf walked up to the goblin, and started to remove its’ armor, leaving him in nothing but a loin clothe. “I can’t tell you that, he will kill me! You have to understand!” wept the goblin.

“And you have to understand something as well goblin,” calmly stated the elf as he leaned down to grab the knife, now red hot from the fire.

He wriggled around to free himself as the elf walked over placing his forearm against his throat. “I will get answers!” growled the elf as it gripped his face and began scalping the Bonesteel goblin. Cries of pain rang through the woods startling the animals around as they ran away further into the woods.

“Now where’s the Warlord?” sighed the elf as he stood back with a handful of lime green flesh in his bloodied hand.

“I don’t know where he is…” cried the goblin as blood poured down his face.

“Wrong answer, you said you couldn’t tell because he would kill you,” the elf’s words were drowned out by the screams as it gripped the side of the goblins head as he ran the hot skinning knife down the goblins right side of his face and started to saw at it to peel it free.

“Wait stop!” pleaded the goblin as he looked down at the strip of flesh sitting in the elf’s hand as he tossed it into the fire. “Just stop!” it cried as it flinched from the elf’s movement back towards him.

“I think Btodex of the Giantmuck Clan will have a better idea of where he is, we are the smallest of the clans so the Warlord doesn’t tell us everything,” explained the goblin.

“What direction is the encampment?” asked the elf.

“I…I…” stuttered the goblin followed by a scream as the elf began to remove the left side of its face.

“One more time, what direction is the encampment?” he questioned sternly tossing the flesh into the fire to burn with the other.

“Its north of here about ten miles,” he blurted trying to remain conscious. “Show mercy!” he continued.

With all the blood the pouring down his face, he could see the enraged look on the elf’s face as it threw the knife burying the blade in the goblins chest. “MERCY?!” growled the elf.

“Was it mercy that stayed the hand of your precious Warlord the day he took my family from me!” he continued as he lunged forth plunging his thumbs into the goblins eye sockets as its body twitched and jerked from the shock as both elf and goblin cried out filling the air with a terrifying wail.